A Princess and A Ninja
by NintendoNerd4287
Summary: She was about to become Queen. She didn't need any more distractions or complications. I guess life has a way of sweeping you off your feet when it's least convenient. AU, VERY in character, Espiaze, slight Shadaze bashing
1. Chapter 1: Emotions

**Summary:** She was about to become Queen. She didn't need any more distractions. I guess life has a way of sweeping you off your feet when it's least convenient. (AU, VERY in character, Espiaze, slight Shadaze bashing)

**Disclaimer:** Do you think that I own Sonic Team? No, not really. Bummer. Its SEGA's.

**Author's Notes:** Before you ask why the heck I chose this pairing of all pairings, you should know this about me. I hate when fanfiction is OOC. AU is cool, but the characters are special because they are who they are. I don't like changing them. When you think about that, Espio and Blaze would actually be really awesome together. They're both serious and have independent personalities. I don't care about the whole species difference because I'm not that Sonic couple freak that tries to make fan children for all the couples. That's just weird, since some of the best couples (in my opinion) are different species. They're rated E for everyone so they're not gonna have babies. I'm sorry. My intros always end up being half as long as the chapter itself, so I'm gonna stop here. Please R&R!

**Chapter 1: Emotions**

The sky was dark, but the ocean was so bright. The moon and the stars lit it up to guide travelers on their way. Night seemed to be the perfect match of day, bringing everything's busy hustle to a calm and restful end. For a certain lavender cat, however, the sparkles of light reflecting off the tides caused fear of the future to grow in her heart. She was restless. She never wanted this moment to end, but she knew that she ultimately couldn't stop time, or control her fate.

Princess Blaze of the Kingdom of Sol leaned against the balcony of her mighty palace. Well, it wasn't truly hers yet, but it would be tomorrow. She sighed and stared at the never-ending waves that haunted her. She had taken off her royal feathers and ruby bindi inherited from her mother to sleep and wore a luxurious silk nightgown with embellishments of golden thread, probably worth more than all of the peasant homes in the kingdom. Knowing that none could hear her with her doors secured and the sheer height of the balcony, she confided in hearing and listening to her own voice for clarity and comfort.

"It's crazy to think that within a few hours I will be a wife and queen of a great new nation, a nation highly unworthy of myself. I know that Shadow is the oldest prince of Kingdom of Mobius, and that without the resources and wealth of these neighbors we will fall to our enemies in war. We have fallen into poverty, and it is my duty to marry the prince and save Sol, but why do I not feel content with accomplishing what I was born to accomplish, my duty? I have never been dissatisfied with helping my family and my people before."

She sighed. Blaze knew full well the source of her discontent. Although she had known the royal family of Mobius and spent much of her childhood with Shadow, she did not love him. It sounded crazy, even to her, that an uncertain thing such as love – or lack thereof – would sway her to reject Shadow in her heart. They were such good friends. To Blaze, logical thinking was the only way of thinking. Emotions are unneeded and cause one to make illogical decisions. Why didn't she love Shadow? She felt nothing. No different, no butterflies, no sparks. Yes, she would do anything for him, but she would do that for any of her friends or family. Mobius and Sol had always been solid allies. And then there was Babylon.

An east wind blew through the night air, causing her to shiver. The fire princess walked into her emerald bedroom, leaving the balcony doors open. With a graceful flick of the wrist, she shot a powerful ball of flame into the fireplace, lighting up the whole room. The heat flattened the goose bumps on her flesh and she finally started to relax. But as she lay down on the bed, thoughts about the war took her comfort away far too soon. The Kingdom of Babylon was the home of the very cocky and irresponsible prince Jet. Being a deal wealthier than Mobius, it was where the royal family of Sol first looked for a prince worthy of their daughter's affections two years ago. Blaze was forced to get to know the selfish prince well, a little too well for her. She couldn't control her annoyance and anger when Jet asked to marry her. That was the last time she let her emotions get the best of her. After she rudely told him off, Jet swore that she would regret her decision, and that her kingdom would pay in gold and blood. The Babylonians invaded, and after a year of war the Solarians had lost more than half of their resources and too many of their lives. Not wanting to make the same mistake again, they sought help from their old friends the Mobians in desperation. They would only agree to help the dying kingdom if Blaze agreed to marry Shadow in order to merge their kingdoms and spare Sol from total ruin. However, Sol would be the new capital of Mobius, and loose its mighty heritage. But it was the only way.

The only way, meaning no other. Blaze sighed. It was because of emotions that the hardened princess had gotten everyone into this mess, and in her logical mind, discontentment for the rest of her life was the price to pay for her peoples' redemption and freedom. It didn't make her feel any better, but it needed to be done. Shadow was happy. Her parents were happy. Her subjects were finally starting to allow hope in their lives again. No matter what, she would not disappoint them. She would not be stopped. Her eyes began to droop as the fire died down. Refusing to sleep just yet, Blaze lazily got up from her canopy bed and stood in front of the fireplace parallel to the balcony. The picture frames on the mantle displayed paintings of generations past, and one of a certain red-striped, ebony hedgehog and her playing together as children. Her armor closet was left open every night, in case of emergency. The huge diamond cut ruby in the hilt of her sword gleamed like the fire of courage in her soul, ready to strike. She looked at her pictures, then her sword, and back at that one picture once more. Could she learn to love him? Would she ever feel true love, or would her heart be too hardened to open up and accept it? Her guard was down, and her body was ready to sleep. Just then she heard a faint scrapping sound coming from outside. It almost sounded like the scuffing of shoes. Blaze's ear twitched and she turned around, but saw nothing. Everything seemed fuzzy and unclear in her tired state, so she ignored it and stared at the fire. Before she could process what was happening, a handkerchief was pressed tightly against her mouth and nose while another held the back of her head in place. She immediately grabbed the arms and tried to pull them away in defense and panic, but her body began to fail her as it weakened, and her vision quickly fell into darkness. He smirked.

**Finishing Notes:** Mwahaha, cliffhanger! I suck. You must request for me to continue by reviewing! Do you like it so far? Suggestions? Comments? Questions? I'll take anything except flames. Thanks.


	2. Chapter 2: Reflections

**Thanks to all my reviewers!** Wow, I didn't expect to get that many positive reviews in that short of a time! That's freakin' awesome. Thanks to Crystal the Cat, TheScoundrelCookie, Blazeiscool, Fiction Expansion, and DarkWingedAngel8 for encouraging me.

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Sonic Team. I asked SEGA for it, but it was a tad out of my price range… Just kidding. They never called me back /:

**Author's Notes:** Okay, the cloths in this fic are NOT going to be like the original outfits of the characters, so be aware of that. **The break means Blaze's POV.** Imagine Espio's voice like it was in this cutscene of Sonic Generations: (link) .com/watch?v=UopExt7SPSU . Also, join my group on facebook! I just listed it on my bio, along with all my other links (Important note if you do: Even though the group is open, you still have to request to join. Note sure why. Tell me that you're from FanFictionNet and your username. I would greatly appreciate it.). All my stories are random, so check them out if you want. I'm kinda sorta new at this, but not really. Awesomesause. Enjoy.

**Chapter 2: Reflections**

When vision returned to her, it was still as foggy as when she fell asleep. Only fire and smoke surrounded her, and she lay still as a dark green figure approached her from the flames, carrying her sword. She winced as he spoke. Her ears were sensitive to the noise due to entering such a deep sleep.

"No one defies me. No one rejects me, and now, you will feel the full wrath of my revenge as you fall dead by your own sword."

Jet.

The helpless princess guarded her face with her hand as he moved towards her and thrusted at her chest…

"…Stop!" Her real eyes snapped open and her senses returned fully to her due to the adrenaline as she awoke. As her eyes adjusted to the lack of light and looked around the room, she saw that she was in a prison block cage next to two others in a small and quite old-looking dungeon. The only source of light was the square barred window above her head, on the wall that her back leaned against. It appeared to be morning light, but Blaze couldn't be certain. Her wrists were in cuffs attached to the wall behind her back as she sat upright. She groaned as she felt that crick in her neck that one gets from sleeping for a long time with one's head fallen forward, resting on one's chest. When she breathed in, she coughed immediately after due to the dust and musty smell that filled the large room. She was still in her pajamas, and shivered from the feel of the damp, cold walls. Her feet were bare. She was genuinely frightened, since she had never been in such situation before.

Suddenly, She heard footsteps getting louder by the second, and she turned in expectation to the wooden door far to her left. Her heart raced with excitement. It seemed to open in slow motion, making her ears wince with pain when the probably hundred year-old, rusted hinges creaked all the way to the wall. The figure was still unrecognizable in the shadows. However, it was not green, but rather a dark purple, almost like a mulberry. That gave Blaze a small sense of relief. As the figure walked towards her cell and into the light, a horn protruding from the center of the face came into view. The head was shaped seemingly like a dinosaur, and no nose was visible. She had never seen any animal like it. But what really caught her attention were those deep, serious, ember eyes that were just like hers. They seemed to stare deep into her soul. Not wanting to keep eye contact with a possible enemy, she shook herself away from the amazing view and looked at the now clear, full figure before her, just a few feet away. She guessed male due to his traditional black temple robe. He was most certainly a ninja, no doubt about it. His many gadgets hung on his belt and back, and the wraps on his wrists and ankles were well known to be worn by monks and trainers of the martial arts. Her eye's subconsciously returned to his face no matter how hard she tried. He neither smiled nor scowled. In fact, it seemed like he held no emotion at all. It reminded her of herself all too much. The entire time he kept his eyes on Blaze, never breaking that contact. She tried to keep her heart beat steady, but she wasn't sure if it was beating so fast because of fear, or because of how fascinating this creature before her was. She felt so torn and confused.

* * *

><p>"Good morning, your highness. Did you sleep well?" His voice was profound and soothing, almost attractive in a way. It made me feel lightheaded. Of course, I wouldn't let him know that. I replied with the best confident voice I could muster.<p>

"Well, let's see… I was drugged, kidnapped from my own room, and chained to a wall in a freezing cold dungeon. How do you think I slept?"

"Don't forget that crick in one's neck that one gets from sleeping for a long time with one's head fallen forward, resting on one's chest." He smirked. I hated that smirk.

"How did you… no matter. By the power invested in me as the High Princess of the Kingdom of Sol, I demand that you release me at once and give me a comfortable and safe escort back to my castle at once."

He chuckled. "And what exactly will that power do for you know? You don't know where you are, you're talking to a stranger, and you're in our territory. Therefore, you will do as I say until we decide to release you and this whole Mobius marriage deal washes over."

My eyes widened. "Wait, Mobius marriage deal? How long do you intend to keep me here?"

His smile disappeared again. "Until Shadow and his family finally give up on your pitiful excuse for a country and Sol is claimed by Babylon once and for all."

My hands clenched into fists of fire and my anger lit aflame. I spoke with no uncertainty and all sincerity in my voice as loud as I could. "You can't! Sol is my kingdom and my life. If you even think that you're going to get away with taking it all away from me, think again, because you've got another thing coming to you! What are you anyway, some sort of resurrected, miniature triceratops?"

His mouth also turned into a scowl and his voice matched the volume of mine. "It is not your kingdom, and it never will be! It's better off without a hothead like you, and for your information, I am a chameleon. You are in the mountain sanctuary Kingdom of Chaotix, and by the power invested in me as your captor and High Master of the Ninja Assembly, I hereby sentence you to slavery under his royal majesty King Vector. Given your behavior and attitude you choose to have in this situation, we may or may not let you leave this kingdom anytime soon. How's that for power?"

It was no use. The metal on my chains wasn't melting, no matter how much my anger fueled my flames. Still I stayed strong. "And what about my armies? If they are as observant as I know they are, they will surely track you down and kill you for kidnapping me."

There goes that smirk again… "Oh, you mean the armies out fighting in the war? Silly girl, you have no choice, if returning home is what you want. The more you struggle, the longer you stay. You will be returned safely to your family as long as you comply with our demands. It's just that simple."

That's it. No one calls Blaze a silly girl. Now my family's involved, and I will not stand for that. "What do you mean my family?"

"I am working for and in contact with his highness Prince Jet, and he has agreed to spare your parents' lives in return for his hand in marriage. You will be with them and safe in the kingdom of Babylon as his new queen."

My heart sank. It felt as if everything was crashing down on me, and I was suffocating underneath the rubble of my mistakes. Why did I have to meet Jet in the first place? Why was this happening to me? Why did it always seem like there was no way out? I sighed and dropped all anger immediately, but not necessarily all hate. There was a long pause between myself and the ninja. I looked up into his eyes with sadness and longing. "Fine. I agree, but I'm warning you, if I find out that you've done anything to them or if you keep me here for more than a year, you'll be sorry you ever crossed me. I'll find a way to make sure of that. Don't underestimate my abilities, sir…"

"Espio. That is my name. Please, no title is required. We'll be getting to know each other very well while you're here, so don't underestimate my abilities either."

He pulled his hands out from behind his back and threw me a simple servant dress through the prison cell bars. Then he unlocked the cell and approached me. With every step that he took towards me, my heart began to race again. I couldn't understand why. Perhaps it was the hate. He walked to the left of me and reached to unlock the cuffs behind my back. I didn't struggle out of love and respect for my parents. I didn't try to escape after I was freed. He took my hands and slowly helped me up. When the tips of his fingers touched my palm for the first time, it was as if a bolt of electricity ran down my spine and made me feel surprisingly warm inside. It felt rather nice. He quickly turned around and walked towards the open door, leaving me pleasantly confused. As he grabbed the handle and began to close the door, he looked back at me with a gentle smile rather than his vicious smirk.

"Put on your new dress. It should fit you, but I'm not sure. When you're finished, come on out and I will show you where you will be staying and what you will be doing."

And he shut the door just as slowly as he had opened it.

**Finishing Notes:** Ooo la la, sparks are flying! I wonder how close the two of them are gonna get… hehe! I'm crazy. Well, see you guys at chapter three.


	3. Chapter 3: Wishes

**Disclaimer:** It's a disclaimer. Think about it.

**Author's Notes:** And now the real story begins! This chapter is long compared to the others. Thanks for sticking with me through the set-up. I know that sometimes those chapters can feel boring to read, but now that we're past that the fun can start. Since you are reading a Sonic the Hedgehog fanfiction, I simply assume that you know enough about Sonic from playing the games or watching videos about them to know about the levels and such. If you don't, Google it! The inspiration for the Kingdom of Chaotix comes from the level Sky Sanctuary from Sonic & Knuckles and also Sonic Generations (my current favorite new game). I'll try to describe it, but sometimes pictures are just easier to understand then words. I don't genuinely think that Jet is terrible, but he's really cocky and annoying in Sonic Riders Zero Gravity, and therefore the perfect person to play the overall villain. Also, many more of the Sonic characters that we all know and love are going to be in this story, including **Cosmo the Seedrian from Sonic X** because I think she's awesome and deserves more credit. **Neither Eggman nor Robotnik are going to be in this story** because they annoy the hell out of me and I don't want any humans in this made up land where all these countries are, just animals. Sorry if that bothers you. I think that's it, so on with the plot!

**Chapter 3: Wishes **

As the sky turned from the sherbet colors of dawn to its bright and blinding blue, a young and high-spirited rabbit explored the ruins of an ancient kingdom of the sky with her floating blue companion. Her voice was almost the embodiment of innocence, and one's heart would always seem to melt when she spoke.

"Isn't it just beautiful, Cheese? There aren't any flowers out here because we're a ways away from the gardens, but the vines and the carvings are simply lovely. I wish that we could've lived here when it was thriving and people danced in the streets… Do you think they danced on the streets when they were happy?"

The bubbly chao smiled and cooed in agreement. The rabbit girl skipped until she found herself in what appeared to be the old market square. Being bored and feeling silly, she did what any six year-old in a regal dress would do. She danced. For about fifteen seconds, that is. When she tripped on her own feet and tumbled on her bottom, she laughed hysterically and Cheese giggled.

"Cream! Where have you run off to?"

The startled girl got up immediately and ran towards the voice reluctantly.

"Coming mother!"

* * *

><p>"We are in the midst of preparing for the king's wedding to the lovely Duchess Vanilla of Sol, so everyone in the kingdom is working extra hard to make sure everything goes smoothly and pleasing to his majesty, even the Ninja Assembly. You are simply going to be my apprentice. I will show you how to address those in authority and give you jobs suited to your talents, whatever those might be. It really isn't as difficult as it sounds, trust me. Does your dress fit you comfortably?"<p>

"Oh yes, it's fine." While they walked down the corridor, Blaze brushed off her dress for the hundredth time since she put it on five minutes ago and awkwardly shifted her feet in her sandals, trying not to think about the fact that other people had probably already worn them. Espio sighed.

"Pardon me for saying so, but the dress has been cleaned. Brushing it will not make it any cleaner."

Blaze blushed and threw her hands to her sides. Could he really blame her for being so nervous? Honestly, it's bad enough that she had to marry Jet eventually, but this Espio character that she barely knew fascinated her beyond belief and she had no idea why. Cats, foxes, and other feline type creatures were native to Sol. Hedgehogs originated from Mobius. Birds and flying creatures were typically from Babylon. Echidnas were located in the very secluded Kingdom of Mystic. She had been told that plant creatures called seedrians and various insects lived in Chaotix. Never once had Blaze met or seen a chameleon. After a few moments of quiet, she decided to ask.

"Excuse me, but from my knowledge of the kingdoms and ancient world, I have never once heard about chameleons. Do they originate from here? Will I meet any more? Is it an uncommon or common appearance to see…"

"Will you please stop bombarding me with questions? Really, your want to know everything is getting on my nerves."

Blaze looked towards her shoes and closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I was just curious."

After another pause, Espio looked at Blaze again and spoke with deep emotion.

"Before seedrians and insects began to populate Chaotix some generations ago, this land was for the most part populated by various reptiles and amphibians, such as our own king. The race chosen by the gods to master the martial arts and teach it throughout the known world was the chameleons. When my clan had completed their training, everyone went their separate ways. That is everyone except me. My father, a highly respected sensei, was rapidly growing weaker and more forgetful day-by-day. I decided to stay with him and take care of him until his time came. When I was thirteen years old, he asked me to take his place with courage and honor just before he died."

Blaze slowly looked up at him with a blank face and wide eyes as he continued.

"When skirmishes between Babylon and some of the other nations started to take place soon after, it wasn't long before word came that my fellow brothers were shrinking in numbers. I was the last known chameleon alive by the time the war started. After that, I dedicated my life to teaching the arts to whoever who was willing and worthy so that they would not be lost in the vacuum of time. I also put myself under the service of my king as his protection so that I could ensure that those precious to him would not be lost as did happen to me."

Her eyes no longer held anger towards the hardened man, but rather sympathy and understanding. The more she looked at his sorrowful face, the more she grew to appreciate the time that they had together. They had more in common than she had originally thought they did. She was tempted to speak in reply, but dismissed it feeling that he no longer wanted to relish on the memories he described. As if these immediate thoughts were a cue, the pair reached the end of the long hallway and found themselves in one of the most beautiful foyers that Blaze had ever seen. Four humongous stained glass windows surrounded the round room. They each had matching tapestries on either side of them, and a hand-woven rug made of seemingly perfect silk lay beneath their feet. She simply stood still in awe and breathed it all in. Each window shone brightly and pictured a different animal in armor of platinum. The first was an alligator who stood tall and proud in stature. The second was a bat, flying sleekly through a night sky with wings spread out wide. The third, a snake with plated scales and bottomless red eyes. Blaze paused to stare into them a while longer before looking at the final pane of glass. The final picture clearly showed a chameleon almost identical to Espio himself, standing in front of a sunset-colored sky and bordered by intricate hand-melted cherry blossoms. He walked up next to her and grabbed a hold of her hand. They so comfortably fit together.

"Forgive me princess, but we may come back here at a later date. His majesty is waiting, and trust me, we do not want to keep him. Sometimes he can be a bit… oh, what's the word…"

Before he could finish, an intricately carved wooden door to their left slammed open and caught their attention to reveal the very alligator spoken off. He stood at a height of six-foot-six with a luscious blue cape flowing behind him and wore a sapphire-embellished silver crown crooked upon his head. The king was clearly flustered, but he did not appear angry in any way. He suddenly outbursted and made both of them jump.

"Has anyone seen my shoes?"

"…awkward." Espio finished and whispered in her ear.

Blaze could only blink. This was going to be a long captivity. He cleared his throat and bowed deeply before gesturing his companion and replying.

"Before we address that, I would like you to meet Princess Blaze of the Kingdom of Sol. Remember, she's going to be staying with us for a while in agreement with the royals of Babylon."

He turned to her and stared until she dumbly realized that she had forgotten to bow, and did so hastily. When she arose, Vector smiled and practically threw his arm at her face in an offer to shake hands. She backed up a step and took his hand cautiously. The moment she did, he gripped and shook her entire arm and said, "Pleased to meet 'cha!" before finally release her and leaving her shoulder feeling sore. Unsure of whether or not she had permission to speak because of this unrefined and friendly gesture, she simply looked back at Espio, who returned his gaze to the king.

"If you will excuse me for a moment, I'm going to get this young lady settled in helping the Duchess with unpacking and setting up her things. I promise to meet you in your room so we can, um, search for your, er, footwear. Blaze, if you will."

Still holding her hand, he led her out the door on their right instead, which led to what must've been the front of the castle. Before the door closed, Vector called from behind them, "No problem, man! I'll be chilling in here!"

Espio sighed and turned to Blaze. "I apologize for that. He is usually much more put-together around guests." She scoffed and sarcastically replied to him in monotone. "And you say I'm not fit to rule a country." He repaid her with a roll of the eyes.

* * *

><p>"Cream, sweetheart, I told you not to run away from me and go off exploring just yet. We need to unpack our things and get settled first. Perhaps we can explore the ruins tomorrow, okay honey? Plus, you haven't even met your new daddy yet."<p>

"Yes mother…"

"Good." Vanilla the rabbit smiled and tightly hugged her little girl. It was hard on the soon-to-be princess to have never met her father, who had died in the war, to suddenly accept a new home and a stepfather that she hadn't even met yet. Cream had never met her birth father because he was drafted while the Duchess was still pregnant. The thought of Sol being taken by either the Mobians or the Babylonians saddened her deeply. It was home. It was family. Vector was not family, not yet anyway. As she made her way towards their carriages of things being unpacked, she saw from the corner of her eye two purple creatures walking towards them. When she turned her head to look, she couldn't believe what she saw. A beautiful lavender feline with shimmering fur and a springtime dress on was looking right at her, and the rabbit girl could've sworn that this was the princess of her kingdom. She had only seen Princess Blaze once before on her birthday, but somewhere she felt that this was the same cat. Somewhere.

When Vanilla noticed that her daughter had stopped walking and was now staring, she followed her eyes to the young cat being led by a familiar ninja. She paused and addressed them.

* * *

><p>"And who do I have the pleasure of meeting, Sir Espio?"<p>

He bowed like before and replied routinely.

"I told you, please call me Espio. This is Princess Blaze of your homeland. She is staying a while with us to ensure her safety in these troubled times, standard protocol of course. While she's here, she thought it be best to not waste time and make herself useful to you. Please come to me if there is anything else you may require. I have business to attend to." He leaned in so close to my ear that I could feel his breath on my fur. I shivered as he whispered to me. "Nothing happens within these borders that I don't hear about. Play along and I won't have to hurt you."

He nodded a goodbye to the three of us and swiftly returned to the foyer. I decided that since I wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon, I might as well make the best of it. The duchess' daughter simply stared at me with no visible emotion. I leaned down and put my hand on my knees to meet her eye level and smiled.

"Hi there. Between the two of us, you can just call me Blaze. What's your name?"

The girl grinned at me immediately and replied energetically.

"Hi! My name is Cream, and this here is my very best chao friend, Cheese!"

Cheese flew in a loop-de-loop and chirped happily. Duchess Vanilla smiled at us and spoke to me.

"If you're so eager to help, it would make me feel more comfortable if you took Cream exploring in the ruins. She's been talking about them ever since we left. We have plenty of help here, anyway."

"Really? Yay!"

Before I could even lift a finger, my hand was in hers and away I was dragged. I didn't think that she was bratty, but rather quite cute. I sighed and jogged along with her. Vanilla called out to us.

"Just be sure to be back before lunch!"

* * *

><p>The landscape was much more stunning than I thought it would be. After just about twenty minutes of walking the carved pathway, which slowly inclined upwards, the clouds started to part and many of the kingdoms on the ground far below came into view. I inwardly frowned as I saw Sol. Still, we kept moving. She hadn't let go of my hand the entire time. I decided to start small talk.<p>

"So how did you and Cheese meet?"

"Well, chao are very peaceful and fun-loving creatures. They hate fighting. When the world was first created by the gods, all chao lived and played in Mystic around the temple of the Master Emerald. Are you aware of the legend of the Chaos Emeralds?"

She looked back at me and I nodded. I couldn't think of anyone who hadn't. The legend taught that there were seven gods who made the world, and each made a powerful emerald that represented their respected element; the earth god of green, the fire god of red, the water god of blue, the air god of silver, the ice god of cyan, the light god of yellow, and the darkness god of violet. The various emeralds were scattered throughout the planet in hope that one day they would be brought together with the Master Emerald – created by all the gods combined power – and used for good in a time of need. When they were found, they determined the borders of all the nations that existed. Sol's castle was built around the red emerald to protect it from harm. Chaotix was founded when an exploring reptile discovered the cyan and silver emeralds hidden in a mountainous cave. The emeralds of light and darkness attracted lights in the sky to form above them on certain nights of the year, so they also attracted hedgehogs to form Mobius. The rich and fertile terrain of Babylon was where the green emerald was located. The Master Emerald was placed upon a sacred stand and became the center point of Mystic. Still to that present day, the location of the blue emerald remained unknown. Some thought that ninjas had hidden it in their temple, but that was later disproved. Others searched the rivers that flowed from the peak of the highest mountain to the flatlands. No luck. Treasure hunters who lived on the sea surrounding the vast continent of land continued to search for it in the depths of the ocean since the beginning of time. I contemplated this as Cream continued her story.

"When the nations began to fight each other in order to have all the emeralds and gain total control, it caused negative energy to radiate from the Master Emerald. It affected the chaos' spirits. They had to spread all across the continent or else they might die. When the elder Tikal called to all of the nations through the connection of the Master Emerald and told them what their fights were doing, they ceased their fighting and finally made peace, at least for the longest we've ever had it. Some of the chao returned to Mystic. Others stayed where they had found it more like home. Mother says that Cheese came into my bedroom the night I was born and instantly grew an attachment to me. We've been best friends ever since. Isn't that right?"

Cheese nodded and led the two of us down a gravel path that strayed from the paved one we had followed up the mountainside. Apparently it was trying to show us something. Did it even have a gender? I didn't really care. Where the path stopped was a mural of the gods dancing, while the ground surrounding held unlit torches. Some of the torches had even been crushed by rocks or extremely eroded over the past few thousand years. I looked at the mural and was simply mesmerized. Why had I never come to visit such a beautiful place before? Cream walked up to it and found some writing on the bottom. Without a single flaw, she began to read the ancient tongue.

"Friends will come and friends will go,

Forever to stand or fall to a foe

But take heart! All ye worthy, for wishes lie here,

And all will be fulfilled when the time is near."

"What time?" I wondered out loud and the rabbit turned to face me.

"I'm not sure. Maybe it's the same time talked about in the legend, when the whole world will have to fight off a great unknown evil together with the power of the emeralds… Hey, let's make a wish! I mean there's no harm in it, right?"

I thought about this for a moment. It sounded silly, a refined and adolescent princess making a wish to a supposedly magic wall. But right now, whether it was fact or fiction, I wouldn't mind putting my years aside and being a little girl again for just a moment. A wish sounded really good right about now. I smiled at her.

"Sure. Why not?"

She knelt down before the painting and folded her hands as if reciting a prayer. I wasn't sure what to do, but if this were real, I'm sure that the gods would want a sign of respect shown. I followed suit not wanting to take the risk. When I closed my eyes, I made my wish.

_Please, make a way for Sol. I know that you made all creatures to be united. I know that you only want what is best for your people. Jet doesn't realize that he may be in the way of your divine plan, which will lead to dire consequences. I don't really care what happens to me, but I implore that you save my kingdom from its foreseen fate. As always, keep my family and Shadow's family safe. Thank you._

At the same time, Cream closed her own eyes and wished with all of her heart.

_Please tell my daddy up in heaven that I love him very much, and please help me to accept Mr. Vector because my mommy loves him, and he must be a good man if she really does. The war is making everyone worry, and even the princess is staying here for safety! But I know that you have a plan. I know you will save us when the time is right. I hope that I will learn to love this place as much as I love Sol. Thank you very much._

**Finishing Notes:** Wow, that one was a doozy. Was that ancient poem a bit too cheesy? It took me three days to fully write and edit this chapter to my liking. Because of that, I'm probably going to focus on my other stories for a while. I hope you like this so far! Feedback is highly welcomed.


End file.
